1 If thou shalt obey diligently the voyce of the Lord thy God, and obserue and do all his commandements, which I commande thee this day, then the Lord thy God wil set thee on high aboue all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come on thee, and ouertake thee, if thou shalt obey the voyce of the Lord thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the citie, and blessed also in the fielde. 4 Blessed shalbe the fruite of thy body, and ye fruite of thy ground, and the fruite of thy cattel, the increase of thy kine, and ye flocks of thy sheepe. 5 Blessed shalbe thy basket and thy dough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be, whe thou commest in, and blessed also when thou goest out. 7 The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise against thee, to fall before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee leuen wayes. 8 The Lord shall command the blessing to be with thee in thy store houses, and in all that thou settest thine hande to, and wil blesse thee in the land which the Lord thy God giueth thee. 9 The Lord shall make thee an holy people vnto himself, as he hath sworne vnto thee, if thou shalt keepe the commandements of the Lord thy God, and walke in his wayes. 10 Then all people of the earth shall see that the Name of the Lord is called vpon ouer thee, and they shalbe afrayde of thee. 11 And the Lord shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruite of thy body, and in the fruite of thy cattell, and in the fruite of thy grounde, in the land which the Lord sware vnto thy fathers, to giue thee. 12 The Lord shall open vnto thee his good treasure, euen the heauen to giue rayne vnto thy kind in due season, and to blesse all the worke of thine handes: and thou shalt lende vnto many nations, but shalt not borow thy selfe. 13 And the Lord shall make thee the head, and not the tayle, and thou shalt be aboue onely, and shalt not bee beneath, if thou obey the commandements of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to keepe and to do them. 14 But thou shalt not decline from any of the wordes, which I command you this day, either to the right hand or to the left, to goe after other gods to serue them. 15 But if thou wilt not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God, to keepe and to do all his commandementes and his ordinances, which I command thee this day, then al these curses shall come vpon thee, and ouertake thee. 16 Cursed shalt thou bee in the towne, and cursed also in the fielde. 17 Cursed shall thy basket be, and thy dough. 18 Cursed shall be the fruite of thy body, and the fruite of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the flockes of thy sheepe. 19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou commest in, and cursed also when thou goest out. 20 The Lord shall sende vpon thee cursing, trouble, and shame, in all that which thou settest thine hand to do, vntil thou be destroyed, and perish quickely, because of the wickednesse of thy workes whereby thou hast forsaken me. 21 The Lord shall make the pestilence cleaue vnto thee, vntill he hath consumed thee from the land, whither thou goest to possesse it. 22 The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with the feuer, and with a burning ague, and with feruent heate, and with the sworde, and with blasting, and with the mildew, and they shall pursue thee vntill thou perish. 23 And thine heauen that is ouer thine head, shall be brasse, and the earth that is vnder thee, yron. 24 The Lord shall giue thee for the rayne of thy land, dust and ashes: euen from heauen shall it come downe vpon thee, vntil thou be destroyed. 25 And the Lord shall cause thee to fall before thine enemies: thou shalt come out one way against them, and shalt flee seuen wayes before them, and shalt be scattered through all the kingdomes of the earth. 26 And thy carkeis shall be meate vnto all foules of the ayre, and vnto the beasts of the earth, and none shall fray them away. 27 The Lord wil smite thee with the botch of Egypt, and with the emeroids, and with the skab, and with the itche, that thou canst not be healed. 28 And ye Lord shall smite thee with madnes, and with blindnes, and with astonying of heart. 29 Thou shalt also grope at noone daies, as the blinde gropeth in darknes, and shalt not prosper in thy wayes: thou shalt neuer but bee oppressed with wrong and be powled euermore, and no man shall succour thee. 30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lye with her: thou shalt builde an house, and shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not eate the fruite. 31 Thine oxe shalbe slayne before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eate thereof: thine asse shall be violently taken away before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee: thy sheepe shalbe giuen vnto thine enemies, and no man shall rescue them for thee. 32 Thy sonnes and thy daughters shalbe giuen vnto another people, and thine eyes shall still looke for them, euen till they fall out, and there shalbe no power in thine hand. 33 The fruite of thy land and all thy labours shall a people, which thou knowest not, eate, and thou shalt neuer but suffer wrong, and violence alway: 34 So that thou shalt be madde for the sight which thine eyes shall see. 35 The Lord shall smite thee in the knees, and in the thighes, with a sore botche, that thou canst not be healed: euen from the sole of thy foote vnto the top of thine head. 36 The Lord shall bring thee and thy King (which thou shalt set ouer thee) vnto a nation, which neither thou nor thy fathers haue knowen, and there thou shalt serue other gods: euen wood and stone, 37 And thou shalt be a wonder, a prouerbe and a common talke among all people, whither the Lord shall carie thee. 38 Thou shalt carie out much seede into the fielde, and shalt gather but litle in: for the grashoppers shall destroy it. 39 Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and dresse it, but shalt neither drinke of the wine, nor gather the grapes: for the wormes shall eate it. 40 Thou shalt haue Oliue trees in all thy coastes, but shalt not anoynt thy selfe with the oyle: for thine oliues shall fall. 41 Thou shalt beget sonnes, and daughters, but shalt not haue them: for they shall goe into captiuitie. 42 All thy trees and fruite of thy land shall the grashopper consume. 43 The straunger that is among you, shall clime aboue thee vp on hie, and thou shalt come downe beneath alow. 44 He shall lend thee, and thou shalt not lend him: he shalbe the head, and thou shalt be ye tayle. 45 Moreouer, all these curses shall come vpon thee, and shall pursue thee and ouertake thee, till thou be destroyed, because thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord thy God, to keepe his commandements, and his ordinances, which he commanded thee: 46 And they shalbe vpon thee for signes and wonders, and vpon thy seede for euer, 47 Because thou seruedst not the Lord thy God with ioyfulnesse and with a good heart for the abundance of all things. 48 Therefore thou shalt serue thine enemies which the Lord shall send vpon thee, in hunger and in thirst, and in nakednesse, and in neede of all things? and he shall put a yoke of yron vpon thy necke vntill he haue destroyed thee. 49 The Lord shall bring a nation vpon thee from farre, euen from the ende of the world, flying swift as an Egle: a nation whose tongue thou shalt not vnderstand: 50 A nation of a fierce countenance, which will not regarde the person of the olde, nor haue compassion of the yong. 51 The same shall eate the fruit of thy cattell, and the fruite of thy land vntill thou be destroyed, and he shall leaue thee neyther wheate, wine, nor oyle, neither the increase of thy kyne, nor the flockes of thy sheepe, vntill he haue brought thee to nought. 52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy cities, vntill thine hie and strong walles fall downe, wherein thou trustedst in all the lande: and hee shall besiege thee in all thy cities throughout all thy lande, which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee. 53 And thou shalt eate the fruite of thy bodie: euen the flesh of thy sonnes and thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee, during the siege and straitnesse wherein thine enemie shall inclose thee: 54 So that the man (that is tender and exceeding deintie among you) shalbe grieued at his brother, and at his wife, that lieth in his bosome, and at the remnant of his children, which hee hath yet left, 55 For feare of giuing vnto any of them of the flesh of his children, whom he shall eate, because he hath nothing left him in that siege, and straitnesse, wherewith thine enemie shall besiege thee in all thy cities. 56 The tender and deintie woman among you, which neuer woulde venture to set the sole of her foote vpon the grounde (for her softnesse and tendernesse) shalbe grieued at her husband that lieth in her bosome, and at her sonne, and at her daughter, 57 And at her afterbirth (that shall come out from betweene her feete) and at her childre, which she shall beare: for when all things lacke, she shall eate them secretly, during the siege and straitnesse, wherewith thine enemie shall besiege thee in thy cities. 58 If thou wilt not keepe and doe all the wordes of the Lawe (that are written in this booke) and feare this glorious and feareful name The Lord Thy God, 59 The the Lord wil make thy plagues wonderfull, and the plagues of thy seede, euen great plagues and of long continuance, and sore diseases, and of long durance. 60 Moreouer, he will bring vpon thee all the diseases of Egypt, whereof thou wast afraide, and they shall cleaue vnto thee. 61 And euery sickenesse, and euery plague, which is not written in the booke of this Lawe, will the Lord heape vpon thee, vntill thou be destroyed. 62 And ye shall be left few in nomber, where ye were as the starres of heauen in multitude, because thou wouldest not obey the voyce of the Lord thy God. 63 And as the Lord hath reioyced ouer you, to doe you good, and to multiply you, so he will reioyce ouer you, to destroy you, and bring you to nought, and ye shalbe rooted out of the land, whither thou goest to possesse it. 64 And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one ende of the worlde vnto the other, and there thou shalt serue other gods, which thou hast not knowen nor thy fathers, euen wood and stone. 65 Also among these nations thou shalt finde no rest, neither shall the sole of thy foote haue rest: for the Lord shall giue thee there a trembling heart, and looking to returne till thine eyes fall out, and a sorowfull minde. 66 And thy life shall hang before thee, and thou shalt feare both night and day, and shalt haue none assurance of thy life. 67 In the morning thou shalt say, Woulde God it were euening, and at the euening thou shalt say, Would God it were morning, for ye feare of thine heart, which thou shalt feare, and for the sight of thine eyes, which thou shalt see. 68 And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt againe with shippes by the way, whereof I saide vnto thee, Thou shalt see it no more againe: and there yee shall sell your selues vnto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and there shalbe no byer.
The Blessings of Obedience
(Leviticus 26.3-13Deuteronomy 7.12-24)1 “If you obey the Lord your God and faithfully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, he will make you greater than any other nation on earth. 2 Obey the Lord your God and all these blessings will be yours:
3 “The Lord will bless your towns and your fields.
4 “The Lord will bless you with many children, with abundant crops, and with many cattle and sheep.
5 “The Lord will bless your grain crops and the food you prepare from them.
6 “The Lord will bless everything you do.
7 “The Lord will defeat your enemies when they attack you. They will attack from one direction, but they will run from you in all directions.
8 “The Lord your God will bless your work and fill your barns with grain. He will bless you in the land that he is giving you.
9 “If you obey the Lord your God and do everything he commands, he will make you his own people, as he has promised. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that the Lord has chosen you to be his own people, and they will be afraid of you. 11 The Lord will give you many children, many cattle, and abundant crops in the land that he promised your ancestors to give you. 12 He will send rain in season from his rich storehouse in the sky and bless all your work, so that you will lend to many nations, but you will not have to borrow from any. 13 The Lord your God will make you the leader among the nations and not a follower; you will always prosper and never fail if you obey faithfully all his commands that I am giving you today. 14 But you must never disobey them in any way, or worship and serve other gods.
The Consequences of Disobedience
(Leviticus 26.14-46)15 “But if you disobey the Lord your God and do not faithfully keep all his commands and laws that I am giving you today, all these evil things will happen to you:
16 “The Lord will curse your towns and your fields.
17 “The Lord will curse your grain crops and the food you prepare from them.
18 “The Lord will curse you by giving you only a few children, poor crops, and few cattle and sheep.
19 “The Lord will curse everything you do.
20 “If you do evil and reject the Lord, he will bring on you disaster, confusion, and trouble in everything you do, until you are quickly and completely destroyed. 21 He will send disease after disease on you until there is not one of you left in the land that you are about to occupy. 22 The Lord will strike you with infectious diseases, with swelling and fever; he will send drought and scorching winds to destroy your crops. These disasters will be with you until you die. 23 No rain will fall, and your ground will become as hard as iron. 24 Instead of rain, the Lord will send down duststorms and sandstorms until you are destroyed.
25 “The Lord will give your enemies victory over you. You will attack them from one direction, but you will run from them in all directions, and all the people on earth will be terrified when they see what happens to you. 26 When you die, birds and wild animals will come and eat your bodies, and there will be no one to scare them off. 27 The Lord will send boils on you, as he did on the Egyptians. He will make your bodies break out with sores. You will be covered with scabs, and you will itch, but there will be no cure. 28 The Lord will make you lose your mind; he will strike you with blindness and confusion. 29 You will grope about in broad daylight like someone blind, and you will not be able to find your way. You will not prosper in anything you do. You will be constantly oppressed and robbed, and there will be no one to help you.
30 “You will be engaged to a young woman—but someone else will marry her. You will build a house—but never live in it. You will plant a vineyard—but never eat its grapes. 31 Your cattle will be butchered before your very eyes, but you will not eat any of the meat. Your donkeys will be dragged away while you look on, and they will not be given back to you. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and there will be no one to help you. 32 Your sons and daughters will be given as slaves to foreigners while you look on. Every day you will strain your eyes, looking in vain for your children to return. 33 A foreign nation will take all the crops that you have worked so hard to grow, while you receive nothing but constant oppression and harsh treatment. 34 Your sufferings will make you lose your mind. 35 The Lord will cover your legs with incurable, painful sores; boils will cover you from head to foot.
36 “The Lord will take you and your king away to a foreign land, where neither you nor your ancestors ever lived before; there you will serve gods made of wood and stone. 37 In the countries to which the Lord will scatter you, the people will be shocked at what has happened to you; they will make fun of you and ridicule you.
38 “You will plant plenty of seed, but reap only a small harvest, because the locusts will eat your crops. 39 You will plant vineyards and take care of them, but you will not gather their grapes or drink wine from them, because worms will eat the vines. 40 Olive trees will grow everywhere in your land, but you will not have any olive oil, because the olives will drop off. 41 You will have sons and daughters, but you will lose them, because they will be taken away as prisoners of war. 42 All your trees and crops will be devoured by insects.
43 “Foreigners who live in your land will gain more and more power, while you gradually lose yours. 44 They will have money to lend you, but you will have none to lend them. In the end they will be your rulers.
45 “All these disasters will come on you, and they will be with you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and keep all the laws that he gave you. 46 They will be the evidence of God's judgment on you and your descendants forever. 47 The Lord blessed you in every way, but you would not serve him with glad and joyful hearts. 48 So then, you will serve the enemies that the Lord is going to send against you. You will be hungry, thirsty, and naked—in need of everything. The Lord will oppress you harshly until you are destroyed. 49 The Lord will bring against you a nation from the ends of the earth, a nation whose language you do not know. They will swoop down on you like an eagle. 50 They will be ruthless and show no mercy to anyone, young or old. 51 They will eat your livestock and your crops, and you will starve to death. They will not leave you any grain, wine, olive oil, cattle, or sheep; and you will die. 52 They will attack every town in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and the high, fortified walls in which you trust will fall.
53 “When your enemies are besieging your towns, you will become so desperate for food that you will even eat the children that the Lord your God has given you. 54-55 Even the most refined man of noble birth will become so desperate during the siege that he will eat some of his own children because he has no other food. He will not even give any to his brother or to the wife he loves or to any of his children who are left. 56-57 Even the most refined woman of noble birth, so rich that she has never had to walk anywhere, will behave in the same way. When the enemy besieges her town, she will become so desperate for food that she will secretly eat her newborn child and the afterbirth as well. She will not share them with the husband she loves or with any of her children.
58 “If you do not obey faithfully all of God's teachings that are written in this book and if you do not honor the wonderful and awesome name of the Lord your God, 59 he will send on you and on your descendants incurable diseases and horrible epidemics that can never be stopped. 60 He will bring on you once again all the dreadful diseases you experienced in Egypt, and you will never recover. 61 He will also send all kinds of diseases and epidemics that are not mentioned in this book of God's laws and teachings, and you will be destroyed. 62 Although you become as numerous as the stars in the sky, only a few of you will survive, because you did not obey the Lord your God. 63 Just as the Lord took delight in making you prosper and in making you increase in number, so he will take delight in destroying you and in bringing ruin on you. You will be uprooted from the land that you are about to occupy.
64 “The Lord will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve gods made of wood and stone, gods that neither you nor your ancestors have ever worshiped before. 65 You will find no peace anywhere, no place to call your own; the Lord will overwhelm you with anxiety, hopelessness, and despair. 66 Your life will always be in danger. Day and night you will be filled with terror, and you will live in constant fear of death. 67 Your hearts will pound with fear at everything you see. Every morning you will wish for evening; every evening you will wish for morning. 68 The Lord will send you back to Egypt in ships, even though he said that you would never have to go there again. There you will try to sell yourselves to your enemies as slaves, but no one will want to buy you.”